


Loved you longer

by yukiawison



Category: Newsies (1992)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-31
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-23 10:27:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2544200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yukiawison/pseuds/yukiawison
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He came through the window with a bloody lip and bruised eye. He grinned at me before pressing his lips to mine, hurting himself and making me taste blood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Loved you longer

He came through the window with a bloody lip and bruised eye. He grinned at me before pressing his lips to mine, hurting himself and making me taste blood.

"What happened?" I breathed, wiping the blood from my lips.

"Ya know, some of those rich jerks. It’s not a big deal. I beat em bout as bad as they beat me."

"Yeah?" I said gently. It didn’t look that way but I wasn’t going to question him.

"Do you want some ice?"

"Yeah thanks." I got him some ice and pressed it to his eye. He winced, but let me keep it in place.

"Sorry ta burst in on ya all beat up like." He muttered.

"It’s happened to me plenty of times." I replied, thinking back to the days when I wore patched clothes to school and got beat up walking home.

"Ain’t nothin wrong with being poor. We’re doin our best and they just beats us for it."

"People have got to have someone to hate. Unfortunately they chose us."

"Hell, I’ve been poor my whole life. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t workin every day just for somethin to eat, and patchin up my shirts. Even when I was with Ma we barely got by."

I met his eyes. He never talked about his mother, not even to me. “Yeah Davy, I did have a ma.”  
I blinked. “I know, I just…You never talk about her Jack.”

He sighed. “Not much ta tell. She died when I was ten, so I was on my own until I became a newsie. She worked at a factory, was gone most of the day so she left me lots of books bout the West. She taught me how ta read when she was around. She worked real hard Davy. She wanted me ta go ta school. Said I’d be someone important someday. She said we’d move ta Santa Fe and have our own farm. That’s bout all I remember.”

"You were on your own afterward?" My stomach was flip-flopping.

"Yeah, till I met the guys. Changed my name in the meantime. Jack Kelly was one of the cowboys I was always readin bout."

"What was her name?"

"Harriet, Harriet Sullivan," he replied, slight smile on his bruised lips.

"She sounds like she was a good mother."

"She was."

We were quiet for awhile, it had started to rain.

"I’m sorry I didn’t tell you anythin bout her before. It wasn’t supposed ta be a secret or nothin."

"It’s alright," I replied. "You don’t have to tell me everything."

"Well you have ta Davy.”

"What?"

"I wanna know everythin bout ya. I wanna really know ya Dave. Same for you. So ask me anythin Davy, go ahead."

I hesitated, unable to decide what to ask.

"Tell me about your dad," I said at last, realizing immediately that it was the wrong thing to ask.

He stiffened. “He was in and outta jail when I was growin up. He’d show up at our place and ask Ma for money from time ta time. She gave him what he wanted cause she was afraid of him. He didn’t give a damn bout us,” He looked up at me. “You’re more family than he ever was.

I flushed and he clearly noticed because there was that trademark grin of his. “Okay, your turn.” I shot back quickly.

He thought for a moment. “What scares ya most?”

"I…" The room was suddenly ten degrees hotter. "Not being successful, failing my family, losing you," I trailed off quietly. "I’m scared of lots of things."

"That’s okay. I am too, " Jack replied. "You’re not going to lose me though."

"You don’t know that."

"Yeah I do."

I smiled slightly. “My turn. How’d you know you loved me?”

"Remember that day we saw those kids on the street? You’d had a bad sellin day and you had hardly enough to pay for your dinner. We saw some kids beggin on the streets. You gave them half of what you’d earned. Without even thinkin you cut your share in half. It was a bad day anyway you said, might as well. That’s when I knew. You care bout people Davy. You care bout me. That’s how I knew."

I kissed him, forgetting for a moment about his split lip. He winced, moaning slightly, and I drew back. “Oh right, sorry.”

"Naw it’s fine, " he kissed me again, gently. "Just be careful," he winked. It probably wasn’t the brightest idea. Kisses quickly became less than gentle and I tasted blood again. 

"Sorry I should stop."

"Alright," he replied gratefully.

"You want to know when I knew?"

He grinned. “Course Davy.”

"When we won the strike," I said softly, letting the words sink in. "I saw you get in that carriage and I knew it was going to kill me if you left. That’s when I knew."

His eyes widened. “But Dave we weren’t even together when…you’ve loved me that long?”

I nodded. “I wanted you to say it first though. I didn’t want to scare you.”

"That’s the longest anyone’s love me Davy. ‘Cept my ma but…"

I smiled. “Good for me than huh?”

I looked outside at the downpour. “You’re staying here tonight,” I said. a statement rather than a question.

"I’d stay forever if ya wanted me to."


End file.
